episode_0023

At first, I didn’t understand at all.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no way Jax could have taken down Gartos so quickly…

I couldn’t help but feel strange about the current situation.

“Of course, there must have been something.”

But now that I’ve met Jax again, I started to understand.

The reason why Gartos couldn’t last as long as I thought and why Jax was so confident became clear to me.

“The prowess of a hero.”

The reason must be the equipment Jax is currently wearing.

The shining golden armor, I was familiar with those armors.

“They were display items for sure.”

In the game, depending on the situation, you could briefly enter the Emperor’s chamber in the Imperial Palace, where you could see such equipment.

It was equipment with legends or stories attached to past legendary heroes… Anyway, it was equipment with such settings.

However, unfortunately, it was impossible to use them, as the Empire hesitated to give out the equipment for various reasons.

Thanks to that, in the game, they were equipment that could only exist and not be used.

“Now he lent them to me.”

But Jax has those armors, right?

It seems like the Empire officially allowed Jax to use the armors.

Maybe it’s because they found Jax particularly appealing, but more than that, losing Ronan must have been quite a blow.

The performance of the equipment looked formidable at first glance.

“Well… it doesn’t matter.”

But there wasn’t really a problem.

While those armors were undoubtedly powerful, I also had a formidable weapon in my hands.

And I really didn’t think I would lose to Jax.

“Sekripa, get ready.”

It was the moment when I thought getting the Dark Sword was a really good decision.

If I hadn’t obtained it, I might have been in trouble, but with Sekripa, I believe winning is certain.

I began infusing my magic power into the Dark Sword.

“…!?”

But I felt a slight tingling sensation in my hand.

It felt like my magic power was resisting, as if reluctant.

“This again.”

It wasn’t common, but it wasn’t rare either.

When I used Sekripa, strangely, it felt like Sekripa was rejecting my magic power as if it had its own will.

Is it difficult for a magical sword like Sekripa, which lives off magic power, to accept a hero’s magic power? I wondered.

“Behave yourself.”

Well, what can I do? I can’t just let my magic flow freely.

I channeled even stronger magic power into Sekripa, and it soon behaved.

“It’s like the sword has a will of its own.”

Looking at Sekripa like that made me feel a bit strange…

Where would a sword have a will? I shrugged off this matter without much concern.

“What are you doing?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Although Jax looked at me strangely for a moment due to our brief exchange, there was no real issue.

Anyway, now I really needed to prepare to fight.

Bam!!!

“That sword doesn’t look like an ordinary weapon, does it?”

“Well, it’s not an ordinary weapon.”

It was safe to say that there was no difference in equipment between us.

Jax wearing the hero’s armors, and me with the Dark Sword, Sekripa.

It was time to settle things once again with our skills.

# # #

Bam!!!

The hero’s armors and the Dark Sword clashed.

Ronan, holding the sword, aimed at Jax, and his sword touched the armor Jax was wearing.

The collision of these two legendary items had significant repercussions, but unfortunately, it didn’t inflict any significant damage.

“What’s this? It seems like it wouldn’t even cut butter.”

The situation where the Dark Sword Sekripa was being pushed back by the hero’s armors.

As expected, at the outcome, Jax smirked slyly.

In fact, Jax knew he had the upper hand from the beginning.

‘Because this is a sanctuary.’

This place was a sanctuary.

All curses affected all races, and the power of holiness was amplified here.

Such effects would not exempt even the invincible martial arts of heroes and the demonic swords.

Due to the special nature of the area, the power of the demonic sword was weakened, while the hero’s martial arts were enhanced.

That must be why they couldn’t deliver any significant blows.

Even if their items were of the same grade, the difference in performance was due to that.

“A cooking knife should be enough for you, right?”

“Ugh…”

Well, it’s not like there was no impact at all…

Still, living up to the name of a demonic sword, they pierced through the armor and began to strike Jax.

Certainly, one could not rely solely on the hero’s martial arts. It made me think that the name of the demonic sword wasn’t just for show.

“Just stay alive.”

However, fundamentally, the advantage had not changed.

Jax swung his sword, separating the demonic sword from its wielder.

“I’ll make sure to kill you properly today.”

Then he attacked Ronan with his sword.

With his splendid swordsmanship, Jax relentlessly attacked Ronan.

“How about that? Quite different from before, right?”

“…”

Jax used much faster and more precise swordsmanship than what Ronan had seen at the palace.

Ronan barely managed to evade Jax’s attacks.

“Don’t think I will be as careless as before.”

Although he was pushed back by a single blow from Ronan, objectively speaking, Jax was not a hero to be underestimated.

Despite various circumstances, he was the hero who had achieved the most, and there were moments of carelessness in the duel.

At least in situations where he had the upper hand, he had the skills to apply pressure decisively.

“Huff…”

As Jax continued to press on, Ronan began to falter.

As a former demon, Ronan found it difficult to exert his full strength in the sanctuary.

“You can never defeat me.”

As the battle dragged on and he gained the upper hand, Jax’s smirk grew wider.

Empowered by the hero’s martial arts, he relentlessly pressured Ronan with increased stamina.

“Do you think I would lose to someone who can’t even protect his own woman?”

Jax believed that he and Ronan were in different positions.

Ronan was merely prey to be taken, while he was the predator who devoured such prey.

There was a clear distinction between the two.

“Would you like to act relaxed once again? Huh?”

Bam!

This time, he intended to prove it.

He needed to thoroughly defeat Ronan and demonstrate once again that he was the predator.

“Hoo.”

But why?

After unleashing his attacks, Jax looked at Ronan.

“So, is this the end? Do you plan to conquer the world just with words?”

Looking at Ronan, who appeared so relaxed, despite being relentlessly pushed back without respite.

Though he had continuously pressed Ronan, the situation did not favor him.

The look in Ronan’s eyes reflected unwavering confidence that he would emerge victorious, dismissing Jax as insignificant.

“Huh…”

Seeing Ronan still so composed was unexpected after such relentless pressure.

While it seemed like Jax was about to explode in anger, he suppressed it with a calm mind.

“Well then. If you ask to be killed like that, I can’t refuse.”

If it had come to this, he simply had to overwhelm him with his skill.

As if responding to Ronan’s attitude, Jax prepared his strongest attack.

Bam!

Loading his sword with magic, Jax began another relentless assault on Ronan.

…

Yet, Ronan blocked and parried the attacks, enduring the onslaught.

Apart from being faster and stronger in his attacks, there was no significant difference from the previous assaults.

However, of course, if this was the end, it wouldn’t be called a finishing move.

…!?

[Fatal Blow]

The real power was in the dagger hidden in the bosom.

It was a technique to accumulate and explode the dagger, which had been hidden to take advantage of the opponent’s carelessness during swordsmanship and stab it into the enemy’s vital point.

“Goodbye.”

Jax thrust the dagger into Ronan.

Boom!

With the explosion of mana, Ronan fell from his position.

Looking at the fallen Ronan, Jax seemed to laugh.

“Hahaha. Pathetic.”

It was undoubtedly his victory.

As Jax was confident in this technique, having never failed to kill with it, if one did not know and prepare in advance, they would inevitably fall victim to its absolute power.

Jax left the fallen Ronan behind, savoring his victory for a moment.

But what happened here?

“Huh… How?”

Ronan, who should have fallen, did not.

When Jax looked at Ronan with an expression questioning why he didn’t fall, Ronan responded.

“Sorry, I’ve seen that move dozens of times already.”

A small shield popped out from where Jax had stabbed Ronan in the vital spot.

As if Jax had known this would happen.

From the beginning, Jax had been playing into Ronan’s hands.

However, by the time he realized it, it was already too late.

Ronan struck at the distracted Jax with his sword, and the distracted Jax could not avoid the blow.

Thud!

“Splurt…”

The cursed blade pierced Jax’s abdomen through a gap in his armor, dripping red blood as he fell.